If you’re searching for the answer to Wordle for February 20, 2025, you’ve come to the right place. This post includes hints, strategies, and the ultimate solution to today’s challenge. Interestingly, today’s puzzle is simpler; I managed to solve it in just three attempts. Be warned, spoilers for Wordle #1,342 follow! Scroll down for some clues (and the answer) to today’s Wordle.

Understanding Wordle

Wordle can be accessed here on the New York Times website. Every day at midnight, your local time brings a new puzzle.

To begin, select a five-letter word. Letters will display in different colors: green indicates the correct letter in the right spot, yellow signals a correct letter in the wrong position, and gray means that letter is not in the target word at all. For more information, feel free to check out our detailed guide on playing Wordle, as well as this strategy overview for advanced tactics. Additional resources can be found at the end of this article, past the hints and solutions.

Ready to dive into the hints? Let’s begin!

Are there any uncommon letters in today’s puzzle?

Common letters can be identified using the old typesetter’s phrase: ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Remember this acronym! Pronounce it as “Edwin Shirdloo” for fun.) Today’s solution features four of these frequently used letters, along with a fifth that’s fairly common.

Can you provide a hint for today’s puzzle?

It relates to a type of insect.

Does today’s answer contain any letters that repeat?

No, today’s word does not include any letters that appear more than once.

How many vowels are present in the day’s puzzle?

The answer contains two vowels.

Which letter does today’s Wordle start with?

The first letter of today’s word is R.

Which letter does today’s Wordle end with?

The last letter of today’s word is H.

What is the solution for today’s Wordle?

Drum roll, please! Today’s answer is ROACH.

How I figured out today’s Wordle

I started with the guesses RAISE and TOUCH, which led me directly to the answer: ROACH.

Wordle 1,342 3/6

🟩🟨⬛⬛⬛
⬛🟩⬛🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Solution for Yesterday’s Wordle

Yesterday’s challenge was moderately difficult, with the hint “how you might love.” It included three common letters, one fairly frequent letter, and one rare letter.

The answer for yesterday’s puzzle was MADLY.

Fundamentals of Wordle

The objective of Wordle is to guess the secret word of the day. Upon entering the game, an empty grid awaits you. It’s your task to initiate the first guess by typing any five-letter word.

Utilize the color feedback provided to deduce the letters in the word: Green signifies a correctly placed letter. (For instance, guessing PARTY against the word PURSE would turn P and R green.)

• Yellow indicates that the letter appears in the word but is not in the correct spot. (If you enter PARTY while the answer is ROAST, R, A, and T will become yellow.)

• Gray denotes that the letter is not found in the word at all. (A completely gray result from PARTY means the answer is neither PURSE nor ROAST.)

With this knowledge, continue guessing subsequent words, striving to identify the correct answer before exhausting your six attempts.

Top Starter Words for Wordle

What are optimal starting guesses? The most effective ones typically feature letters that are commonly used, boosting your chances of getting yellow or green highlights. (Encountering all grays from familiar letters still offers vital information for eliminating options.) There isn’t a definitive “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot suggests beginning with one of the following:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Additionally, an MIT study found that some of the best first words for narrowing down choices include:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other solid alternatives could be ARISE or ROUND. While words like ADIEU and AUDIO introduce a higher vowel count, beginning with consonants using a starter such as RENTS or CLAMP might be advantageous. Determine your method and see how it performs.

Tips for Success in Wordle

There are various strategic guides for enhancing Wordle performance, which may be beneficial to explore for dedicated players. This resource dives into leveraging consonants effectively, while this guide focuses on employing the most frequently occurring letters. An advanced strategy guide presents a three-tiered approach for seeking hints while optimizing your winning chances.

The primary distinction between those who succeed and those who do not in Wordle lies in winners’ ability to gather intelligence with their guesses. If you ascertain the word ends in -OUND, for example, don’t waste guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; instead, try to combine those consonants with a guess like MARSH. If H lights up yellow, you’re on the right path.

A noteworthy aspect of strategy: the original version of Wordle contained roughly 2,300 possible solution words, but after the game’s acquisition by the NYT, the game now features a curated list. Solutions may be slightly tricky or relate to current events, such as FEAST being the answer last Thanksgiving. Keep the possibility of themes in mind.

Alternatives to Wordle

If five-letter guessing games fascinate you, several popular Wordle alternatives, listed by difficulty, are available:

• Wheeldle, which lets you tackle multiple puzzles in succession

• Dordle and Quordle, which prompt players to solve two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles using the same guesses. There are also Octordle, featuring eight challenges, and Sedecordle, with sixteen.

• Waffle, which presents scrambled five-letter words in a grid, requiring players to swap letters until the words are revealed.

• Absurdle, which alters the solution after each guess, while adhering to its prior feedback. You must creatively narrow down to one final possible word to win.

• Squabble, where players compete against others with a countdown timer. Failing to guess within a time limit can lead to losing health; the last player remaining stands victorious.

• Antiwordle, where you attempt not to find the day’s solution. Players must reuse correctly guessed letters, meaning the longer it takes to arrive at a solution, the better your score.